It is that time of the year in which we review what we have done, our successes and failures. At the same time we start setting our goals for the upcoming year.
I wonder: how can we set goals that are meaningful? I will tell you a secret: the secret to success for goal setting and achievement is meaning.
For a moment forget about SMART (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Timely) goals. The only way for us to meet goals is to connect them to something that is meaningful for ourselves, our organisation and customers. For a goal to be meaningful it needs to be connected to something bigger: that is purpose. What is purpose? And more specifically what is your purpose and how do you find it?
We have two incredibly powerful resources to tap into and answer those questions: conceptual and intuitive knowledge. We have value and continue to over-value conceptual knowledge over intuitive knowledge. As a result we are experiencing an epidemic of over-thinking. This epidemic has led us to pain and misery. Goal setting should be a joyful and exciting experience. Goal review should feel like a celebration and give us better and more profound understanding of how we are doing and where we are headed. Do you feel this way? Or do you feel anxious and maybe even bored when having to go through goal setting and review?
Behind that pain and misery precious desires hide. The desires probably to create something better, to make a difference. To connect with those desires, that point us directly to our purpose, we need to be willing to connect with our feelings. Most of the time, those feelings are not going to be pleasant. Actually quite the opposite is true. Automatically we default into coping mechanism; everything rather than feeling and having to face how to process them.
We need to create space and time to go deeper into this exploration. We need to build awareness so to finally create change. Here a couple of tips you can use to start the quest to your purpose:
- Establish a journaling practice (few minutes every day to start with) to gain more awareness on what you want, your desires, your triggers. Journaling and establishing a practice of reviewing those journals give precious information and understanding that lead into finding our purpose.
- Ask yourself how do you want to feel. And then realise what activities, projects make you feel that way. Those are your gifts, that when used energise rather than deplete.
- Make space by cutting one (only one) activity in your day that prevents you feel like you desire to feel and/or supports your coping mechanism.
For more inspiration consider following QUEST18 on Tracking Wonder by Jeffrey Davis, read Katie Dalebout Let it Out and Caroline Adams Miller Getting Grit. I ventured myself in this #Purpose #QUEST18 inspiration with an incredible team and peer questers.
My Purpose is: Be WHOLE. You might be already familiar with the words of The Whisper and the work I do to integrate light and shadow. Only then we can become whole. The Whisper would be a great gift for this holidays you might want to check it out on Amazon. I am booking now workshops, retreats and reading from 2018 get in contact with me if you want to learn more.
My Goal is: Use what I have learnt in my quest for Integration, Inclusion and Innovation (3 I model and founding pillars of ReNEWBusiness) to give back and create a more Human Business model. Inquire on how to apply the 3 I model to your organisation, and ReNEW how you do business.
My Gifts: Insistent expansion into seeking, learning and expressing to create Business as UN-Usual.
Now is your time: What is your purpose? When you find it put some actions behind it and build meaningful goals to support it.